Enforcement of IPRs in the Balkan Region Enforcement of IPRs in the Balkan Region

Ms. Elizabeta Dimovska

SNB-REACT Balkan

Belgrade, 15 November 2010Belgrade, 15 November 2010

1. Foundation

Dutch Anti-counterfeiting Group, now called SNB-REACT:� Dutch Anti-counterfeiting Group, now called SNB-REACT:

� Non profit coalition created in April 1991 at the initiative of the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce

� Its objective is to actively fight the counterfeiting trade;

� With the support of the European Commission, React Italy was founded and in 2002 the two organizations merged into the business association SNB-REACT.

2. Operational activities

� Follow up notification enforcement officers

� Legal actions: civil, criminal

� Investigations

� Monitoring of markets, fairs

� Monitoring of the Internet

� Storage, destruction of goods

3. National Units

�React’s anti-counterfeiting national units act by swiftly undertaking seizures on behalf of its member companies in order to protect their intellectual property rights.

SNB-REACT -Partners

Poland

4. Partners

Hungary

Austria

Luxembourg

Romania

PolandFinland

CroatiaGermany

Malta

GreeceCaribbean

Bulgaria

Denmark

Russia

Turkey

Romania

SNB-REACT has partnership agreements with specialized intellectual property law firms, investigators and sister organizations, working together as part of an informal network operating under the name REACT.

5. MembersAA

●All activity sectors :

● (fashion, sports, car/moto, technology, toys, health,

spirits, video/audio, Tobacco, Cosmetics,

merchandising, shoes, football, etc)

1●180 members

M●membership : requires enforceable rights.

Balkan Balkan Head Quarter SKOPJE Macedonia

Serbia Montenegro AlbaniaBosna &

HerzegovinaGreece

Turkey

6. SNB-REACT-operational

� Operate at non profit basis:

� Standard legal actions,

� Monitoring markets, events and the Internet

� Joined actions

7. SNB REACT

Training efforts:Training efforts:

� National training with enforcement

� Either as REACT or jointly with WIPO, UNECE or other

intl. organisation

Technical assistance: Technical assistance:

� digital cameras

� containers/ storage of counterfeits

8. Lobby issues

� Efficient border enforcement

--Simplified procedure

--Shift of liability to intermediaries

� Efficient IPR protection on the market

� Disposal of counterfeit goods

9. Border Enforcement

� Border enforcement: most important tool to prevent

the circulation of counterfeited goods

� Has to be a quick and simple procedure

� Right Owner submits a Customs Application

- Should be less formal (POA not notarized and - Should be less formal (POA not notarized and

apostle in all countries separately); they sign

indemnity letter anyhow

10. Border Enforcement

� Simple: counterfeit goods = infringement

� Therefore long court procedures should be avoided!!

�Why go to court; counterpart rarely challenges

counterfeit nature

� Effect: more costs, legal, storage…a.o.� Effect: more costs, legal, storage…a.o.

� For budgetary reasons, right owners drop cases when

they are long and costly

11. Border Enforcement� Simplyfied procedure� Simplyfied procedure

- Notification

- Simplyfied procedure fully applied

- Simplyfied procedure partly applied

12. Border Enforcement� Simplyfied procedure� Simplyfied procedure

*Macedonia – fully applied

*Serbia – partly applied

*Montenegro- not applied

*Albania- not applied

*B&H – not applied (administrative procedure)*B&H – not applied (administrative procedure)

*Croatia – fully applied

*Greece – partly applied

Example of counterfeits

13. Liability Transporter

� Vital role – movement of counterfeit

� Targets:

1.Impose costs on the shipper/consignor

2.Immediate surrender of goods/documents

3.Pro-active approach with obvious infringing 3.Pro-active approach with obvious infringing

consignments

14. IPR Protection on the market

Approach depends on national legislation:

� Market inspection

� Economic police

� Ministry of Finance (Revenue’s)� Ministry of Finance (Revenue’s)

� Ministry of Health (Consumer Protection)

� Custom officers (!)

15. IPR Protection on the market� Coordinative Body for IPR� Coordinative Body for IPR

- members are representatives of:

*Macedonian State office for IPR

*market inspection

*ministry od culture

*ministry of internal afairs (police)*ministry of internal afairs (police)

*Customs

*Public revenue office

� Important: the infringing goods are seized and destroyed

Destruction of fake goods

16. Destruction of fake goods

� Facing problems as destruction locations

� Enviromentaly safe way of destruction

� Uniformed way of destruction

� Cooperation and agreement between countries for moving

goods to destruction convenient locations goods to destruction convenient locations

� Recycling and making new safe products.

17. Internet Service Providers

� Internet: perfect platform

� Targets

- Immediate removal

- Disclosure of personal data- Disclosure of personal data

- Pro-active approach

Figures (Cases)

Evolution of Cases

10000

12000Automotive

industry

Computer/acces

sories

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

Quantities

Merchandising/ot

hers

Mobile

phones/accessor

ies

Perfums/househ

old

Sports/footwear

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090

Stationary

Textiles

Toys

watches

Automotive industry 11 13 2 5 5 5 9 17 19 19

Computer/accessories 4 23 13 15 16 82 29 55 177 210

Merchandising/others 109 120 143 180 247 686 1333 2011 2618 3276

Mobile phones/accessories 29 122 156 269 273 269 162 168 300 481

Perfums/household 50 25 29 61 57 155 279 479 747 624

Sports/footw ear 97 63 75 127 243 468 441 729 873 924

Stationary 62 45 17 38 43 48 69 60 83 132

Textiles 415 344 392 417 844 1510 2118 2668 3651 4123

Toys 63 52 61 95 97 73 80 65 76 122

w atches 92 77 56 55 87 155 175 231 419 637

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Figures (Quantities)

Evolution of Quantities

14000000

16000000

18000000

Automotive

industry

Computer/acces

sories

2000000

4000000

6000000

8000000

10000000

12000000

Quantities

Merchandising/ot

hers

Mobile

phones/accessor

ies

Perfums/househ

old

Sports/footwear

Stationary

0

2000000Stationary

Textiles

Toys

watches

Automotive industry 2143 197 84 1266 688 529 1768 5507 22231 3157

Computer/accessories 0 42584 3801 9510 3645 41191 7961 16356 109537 108646

Merchandising/others 210226 358289 1033707 266422 678407 323737 541119 884748 5419981 898897

Mobile phones/accessories 44114 165155 270998 841243 594214 440745 291706 192207 693780 273122

Perfums/household 100710 1441 37028 1546465 102969 2617860 571594 584156 184162 334115

Sports/footw ear 113895 80249 61029 527895 120882 1030615 485058 746717 1222887 1185575

Stationary 67201 753276 45137 101757 78814 133329 374043 72388 6104607 120340

Textiles 245130 101039 309731 209448 603592 988354 1218642 1113936 1319464 1409044

Toys 309405 71844 184851 1769669 643491 72128 463288 114896 257637 6030021

w atches 158883 219123 49491 21318 13290 36895 32311 59666 267778 105336

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

18. CONCLUSION

� Work on legislation

� Strengthening the system

� Offer more assistance in the area to the authorities

- Practical with enforcement- Practical with enforcement

- Training, storage, destruction

- Legislation

Thank you for your attention

SNB REACT BALKAN Ms. Elizabeta DimovskaDame Gruev nr 1Skopje, Macedonia

Tel +389 2 3228 244Fax + 389 2 3298 007

reactbalkan@snbreact.orgreactbalkan@snbreact.orgemufisovski@snbreact.orgwww.snbreact.org